Sensor release mechanism for a test meter

ABSTRACT

A sensor-dispensing instrument adapted to handle a sensor pack containing a plurality of sensors and to perform a test using one of the sensors. The sensor dispensing instrument includes an outer housing and a mechanical mechanism contained therein for rotating the sensor pack and ejecting one of the sensors from the sensor pack and through a sensor slot on the housing. The sensor dispensing instrument also includes a rotational-release wheel that is disposed on the outer housing of the sensor-dispensing instrument that is turnable to remove a sensor disposed in the sensor slot.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Application No. 60/674,536 filed onApr. 25, 2005, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a fluid-monitoring systemand, more particularly, to a new and improved meter or instrument forhandling multiple sensors that are used in analyzing at least oneanalyte in a fluid contained therein (e.g. blood glucose, cholesterol).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

People suffering from various forms of diabetes routinely need to testtheir blood to determine the level of blood glucose. The results of suchtests can be used to determine what, if any, insulin or other medicationneeds to be administered. In one type of blood glucose testing system,sensors are used to test a sample of blood.

Such a sensor may have a generally flat, rectangular shape with a frontor testing end and a rear or contact end. The sensor contains biosensingor reagent material that will react with blood glucose. The testing endof the sensor is adapted to be placed into the fluid being tested, forexample, blood that has accumulated on a person's finger after thefinger has been pricked. The fluid is drawn into a capillary channelthat extends in the sensor from the testing end to the reagent materialby capillary action so that a sufficient amount of fluid to be tested isdrawn into the sensor. The fluid then chemically reacts with the reagentmaterial in the sensor with the result that an electrical signalindicative of the blood glucose level in the blood being tested issupplied to contact areas located near the rear or contact end of thesensor.

To couple the electrical signals produced at the sensor contacts tomonitoring equipment, the sensors need to be inserted into sensorholders prior to the sensor end being placed into the fluid beingtested. The sensor holders have corresponding mating contact areas thatbecome coupled to the contacts on the sensor when the sensor is insertedinto the holder. Consequently, the holders act as an interface betweenthe sensor and monitoring equipment that accumulates and/or analyzes thetest results.

Prior to being used, the sensors typically need to be maintained at anappropriate humidity level so as to insure the integrity of the reagentmaterials in the sensor. Sensors can be packaged individually intear-away packages so that they can be maintained at the proper humiditylevel. For instance, blister-type packaging methods could be used. Inthis connection, the packages can include desiccant material to maintainthe proper humidity in the package. To use an individual sensor fortesting blood glucose, the package must be opened by tearing the seal.Alternatively, some packages require the user to exert force against oneside of the package resulting in the sensor bursting or rupturing thefoil on the other side. As can be appreciated, the opening of thesepackages can be difficult. Moreover, once the package is opened, theuser needs to be sure that the sensor is not damaged or contaminated asit is being placed into the sensor holder and used to test the bloodsample.

Some users have experienced difficulties in the operation and/ormanipulation of the prior art sensor instruments. For example, userswith limited dexterity may find it difficult to remove a used sensorfrom the device. Because the used sensor contains blood or other fluids,the sensor should be disposed of immediately after the testing procedureis completed. Moreover, physical handling of the used sensor should beavoided to prevent or inhibit the spreading of blood-born diseases orother harmful contaminants. It is therefore desirable that the usedsensor be removed from the device without being grasped or otherwisehandled by the user.

One prior art technique involves discharging the used test sensor bysliding the slide latch away from the testing end of the device andsimultaneously tipping the testing end of the device downwardly. Thisrequires an awkward manipulation of the device that may be particularlydifficult for users, particularly elderly users suffering from diabetes,which lack dexterity in their wrist, hand or fingers. As a result, manyusers may be tempted to grab the end of the used sensor to remove itfrom the device.

Another prior technique discloses a button that is depressed to releasea previously used test sensor from the sensor-dispensing instrument.However, the release mechanism disclosed in such a prior techniquerelies primarily on the user tipping the end of the sensor-dispensinginstrument down so that gravity will remove the test sensor. It has beenfound that some test sensors may not properly be ejected by such a priorrelease mechanism, such as if the test sensor has some contaminant on anexposed surface of the test sensor, such as some adhesive, staticelectricity may cause the test sensor to remain in the sensor-dispensinginstrument, or the light weight of the test sensor makes it unlikely forthe test sensor to be removed by gravity from the sensor-dispensinginstrument. It is therefore desirable to have an improvedsensor-dispensing instrument that utilizes an improved method ofdischarging used sensors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment of the present invention, asensor-dispensing instrument adapted to handle a sensor pack thatcontains a plurality of sensors, the sensor-dispensing instrumentfurther adapted to perform a test using one of the plurality of sensorsis provided. The sensor-dispensing instrument comprises an outerhousing, a mechanical mechanism, an electronics assembly, a sensoractuator, and a rotational-release wheel. The outer housing has a frontend and a rear end. The outer housing further has a sensor slot throughwhich one of the sensors is disposed to conduct the test. The sensorslot is at the front of end of the outer housing. The mechanicalmechanism includes an indexing disk for supporting and rotating thesensor pack, an indexing disk-drive arm for rotating the indexing disk,a knife-blade assembly, and a puller handle to move the indexingdisk-drive arm and the knife-blade assembly. The electronics assemblyperforms the test and displays the test results. The sensor actuator isadapted to engage a sensor within the sensor slot, connect to contactson the sensor, and transmit electrical signals between the sensor andthe electronics assembly. The rotational-release wheel is generallydisposed on the front end of the outer housing. The rotational-releasewheel being turnable to remove the sensor from the sensor slot.

According to one method of the present invention, a method of operatinga sensor-dispensing instrument adapted to handle a sensor packcontaining a plurality of sensors, and the sensor-dispensing instrumentfurther adapted to perform a test using one of the plurality of sensorsis provided. The sensor-dispensing instrument comprises an outer housingthat has a sensor slot disposed at a front end of the outer housingthrough which one of the sensors is disposed to conduct the test. Thesensor-dispensing instrument further comprises a mechanical mechanismhaving an indexing disk for supporting and rotating the sensor pack, amovable disk-drive pusher, an indexing disk-drive arm mounted on thedisk-drive pusher for rotating the indexing disk. A knife-blade assemblymounted on the disk-drive pusher for puncturing the foil covering andejecting one of the sensors from the sensor cavity and through thesensor slot is also provided. The sensor-dispensing instrumentadditionally has a puller handle affixed to an end of the disk-drivepusher for moving the disk-drive pusher, the puller handle beingmoveable between a testing position adjacent to a rear end of the outerhousing, an extended position spaced outwardly from the rear end of theouter housing, and a stand-by position located between the testingposition and the extended position. The sensor-dispensing instrumentfurther comprises a rotational-release wheel for removing a sensor inthe sensor slot. The method pulls the puller handle from the stand-byposition to the extended position so as to move the disk-drive pusherand cause the indexing disk-drive arm to rotate the indexing disk. Themethod pushes the puller handle from the extended position to thetesting position so as to move the disk-drive pusher and cause theknife-blade assembly to puncture the foil covering and eject one of thesensors from the sensor cavity and through the sensor slot. The methodperforms the test by using the sensor disposed in the sensor slot. Theuser views the test results generated by the test on a display disposedon the outer housing. The user turns the rotational-release wheel tocause the rotational-release wheel to remove the sensor from the sensorslot.

The above summary of the present invention is not intended to representeach embodiment, or every aspect, of the present invention. Additionalfeatures and benefits of the present invention are apparent from thedetailed description and figures set forth below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a sensor-dispensing instrumentaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the sensor-dispensing instrumentof FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sensor-dispensing instrument of FIG.1 in the opened position showing the insertion of a sensor pack.

FIG. 4 a is an exploded top perspective view of the component parts of adisk-drive mechanism and indexing disk sub-assembly of thesensor-dispensing instrument of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 b is an exploded bottom perspective view of the component partsof a disk-drive mechanism and indexing disk sub-assembly of thesensor-dispensing instrument of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the component parts of asensor pack used with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a test sensor used with one embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a front end of thesensor-dispensing instrument of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional perspective view of thefront end of the sensor-dispensing instrument of FIG. 1 taken along line8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 b is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view of the frontend of the sensor-dispensing instrument of FIG. 1 taken along line 8-8of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1 a sensor-dispensing instrument 10 is shown thatmay be used in determining concentration of at least one analyte in afluid. Analytes that may be measured using the present invention includeglucose, lipid profiles (e.g., cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and HDL),microalbumin, hemoglobin A_(1C), fructose, lactate, or bilirubin.Analytes that may be measured using the present invention includeglucose, lipid profiles (e.g., cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and HDL),microalbumin, hemoglobin A_(1C), fructose, lactate, or bilirubin. Thepresent invention is not limited, however, to these specific analytesand it is contemplated that other analyte concentrations may bedetermined. The analytes may be in, for example, a whole blood sample, ablood serum sample, a blood plasma sample, or other body fluids like ISF(interstitial fluid) and urine. The sensor-dispensing instrument 10includes an outer housing 12 having an upper case 18 and a lower case24, the lower case 24 pivoting on the upper case 18. The upper case 18is pivotable with respect to the lower case 24 in a clamshell fashion sothat a sensor pack 300 (see FIG. 3) can be positioned on an indexingdisk 30 within the housing 12. With the sensor pack 300 so loaded in thehousing 12, a puller handle 32 extending from a rear end 22 of the uppercase 18 of the housing 12 can be moved to activate a disk-drivemechanism 34, to load a sensor 302 into a testing position on the frontend 14 of the housing 12 (see FIG. 3).

As depicted in FIG. 5, the sensor pack 300 utilized by thesensor-dispensing instrument 10 is of the type described in U.S. Pat.No. 5,575,403, issued Nov. 19, 1996, entitled “Dispensing Instrument ForFluid Monitoring Sensors.” In general, the sensor pack 300 is adapted tohouse a plurality of test sensors 302 with each of the test sensors 302in a respective one of a plurality of separate sensor cavities 304. Asshown in FIG. 6, each of the sensors 302 has a generally flat,rectangular shape extending from a front or testing end 306 to a backend 308. The front end 306 is angled so that it will puncture anunsevered portion of protective foil 310 overlying the sensor cavity 304as the sensor 302 is being forced out of the sensor cavity 304 by aknife blade 36 (to be described below). The front end 306 is alsoadapted to be placed into a fluid (e.g. blood) that is being analyzed.The back end 308 of the sensor includes a small notch 312 that isengaged by the knife blade 36 as the knife blade 36 ejects the sensor302 from the sensor cavity 304. Contacts 314 near the back end of thesensor 302 are adapted to mate with metal contacts on a sensor actuator40 (to be described below) when the sensor 302 is in a testing position.As a result, the sensor 302 is coupled to the electronic circuitry on acircuit board assembly so that information generated in the sensorduring testing can be stored, analyzed and/or displayed.

To operate the sensor-dispensing instrument 10, the puller handle 32 isfirst manually pulled from a standby position (FIG. 1) adjacent the rearend 16 of the housing 12 to an extended position away from the rear end16 of the housing 12. The outward movement of the puller handle 32causes the disk-drive mechanism 34 (FIGS. 4 a and 4 b) to rotate thesensor pack 300 and place the next sensor 302 in a standby positionprior to being loaded into a testing position. The outward movement ofthe puller handle 32 also causes the sensor-dispensing instrument 10 toturn ON (i.e., the electronic circuitry on the circuit board assembly isactivated).

As will be described in greater detail below, the disk-drive mechanism34 includes a disk-drive pusher 48 on which an indexing disk-drive arm50 is mounted (see FIGS. 4 a and 4 b). The indexing disk-drive arm 50comprises a cam button 52 disposed at the end of a plate spring 54. Thecam button 52 is configured to travel in one of a plurality ofcurvilinearly extending grooves 56 on the upper surface of the indexingdisk 30. As the puller handle 32 is manually pulled from a standbyposition adjacent the rear end 16 of the housing 12 to an extendedposition away from the rear end 16 of the housing 12, the disk-drivepusher 48 is pulled laterally towards the rear end 22 of the upper case18. This causes the cam button 52 on the indexing disk-drive arm 50 totravel along one of the curvilinearly extending grooves 56 so as torotate the indexing disk 30. The rotation of the indexing disk 30 causesthe sensor pack 300 to be rotated so that the next one of the sensorcavities 304 is placed in a standby position.

The puller handle 32 is then manually pushed inwardly from the extendedposition back past the standby position (FIG. 1) and into a testingposition. The inward movement of the puller handle 32 causes thedisk-drive mechanism 34 to remove a sensor 302 from the sensor pack 300and place the sensor 302 into a testing position on the front end 14 ofthe housing 12.

As will be described in greater detail below, the disk-drive mechanism34 includes a knife-blade assembly 58 that is pivotally mounted to thedisk-drive pusher 48 (see FIGS. 4 a and 4 b). As the puller handle 32 ismanually pushed from the extended position to the testing position, thedisk-drive pusher 48 is pushed laterally towards the testing or frontend 20 of the upper case 18. This causes the knife-blade assembly 58 topivot downwardly so that a knife blade 36 on the end of the knife-bladeassembly 58 pierces a portion of the protective foil 310 covering one ofthe sensor cavities 304 and engages the sensor 302 in the sensor cavity304. As the disk-drive pusher 48 continues to move towards the front end20 of the upper case 18, the knife-blade assembly 58 forces the sensor302 out of the sensor cavity 304 and into a testing position at thefront end 14 of the housing 12.

While the disk-drive pusher 48 is being pushed from the extendedposition to the testing position, the cam button 52 on the indexingdisk-drive arm 50 travels along one of the radially extending grooves 60to prevent the indexing disk 30 from rotating. Similarly, while thedisk-drive pusher 48 is being pulled from the standby position to theextended position, the knife-blade assembly 58 is in a retractedposition so as to not interfere with the rotation of the indexing disk30.

As the sensor 302 is being ejected from the sensor cavity 304 and isbeing pushed into a testing position projecting out from the front end14 of the housing 12, the sensor 302 engages a sensor actuator 40 and arotational-release wheel 500 to thereby maintain the sensor 302 in thetesting position. The sensor actuator 40 and the rotational-releasewheel 500 engage the sensor 302 when the puller handle 32 is pushed pastthe standby position and into the testing position. The sensor actuator40 couples the sensor 302 to an electronics assembly disposed in theupper case 18. The electronics assembly includes a microprocessor or thelike for processing and/or storing data generated during the testprocedure, and displaying the data on a liquid crystal display 64 of thesensor-dispensing instrument 10.

Once the fluid-analyzing test is completed, the rotational-release wheel500 is rotated causing the sensor 302 to be expelled from thesensor-dispensing instrument 10. At this point, the user can turn thesensor-dispensing instrument 10 OFF by depressing the button 96 on theupper case 18, or by allowing the sensor-dispensing instrument 10 toautomatically turn OFF pursuant to a timer on the electronics assembly.

As seen in FIGS. 4 a-4 b, the disk-drive mechanism 34 includes aknife-blade assembly 58 that is pivotally mounted to the disk-drivepusher 48. The knife-blade assembly 58 comprises a swing arm 230 havinga first end 232 that is pivotally connected to the disk-drive pusher 48by a pair of pivot pins 234. A knife blade 36 is connected to the secondend 236 of the swing arm 230. The second end 236 of the swing aim 230also includes a first cam follower 238 and a second cam follower 240,each in the shape of a transversely extending post. The first camfollower 238 is configured to follow a pathway formed on one side of theknife-blade assembly 58 by the guide block 182, the housing guide 186,and the cover mechanism 188. In particular, this pathway is formed by acam projection 242 on the housing guide 186 that forms an upper pathway244 between the cam projection 242 and the cover mechanism 188 and alower pathway 246 between the cam projection 242 and the guide block182. When the first cam follower 238 is disposed in the upper pathway244, the knife blade 36 is in the retracted position. On the other hand,when the first cam follower 238 is disposed in the lower pathway 246,then the knife blade 36 is in the extended position. The upper pathway244 and the lower pathway 246 are connected together at both ends of thecam projection 242 so as to form a continuous loop about which the firstcam follower 238 can travel.

The second cam follower 240 engages a cam spring 248 (FIG. 4 b) attachedto the housing guide 186. As will be explained below, the cam spring 248guides the knife-blade assembly 58 from the lower pathway 246 to theupper pathway 244 when the disk-drive pusher 48 is initially pulledrearward from standby position towards the extended position. Thedisk-drive pusher 48 also comprises a spring 250 for biasing the knifeblade 36 towards the extended position when the disk-drive pusher 48 isinitially pushed forward from the extended position towards the testingposition. In the preferred embodiment shown, the spring 250 comprises aplate spring that presses against the upper side of the swing arm 230.

As the puller handle 32 is manually pushed from the extended position tothe testing position, the disk-drive pusher 48 is pushed laterallytowards the testing or front end 14 of the housing 12. As the disk-drivepusher 48 begins to move forward, the spring 250 biases the swing arm230 downwardly towards the indexing disk 30 so that the first camfollower 238 engages a sloped surface 252 on the interior end 268 of thecam projection 242 and is forced into the lower pathway 246. This causesthe knife blade 36 to assume an extended position whereby the knifeblade 36 projects outwardly through a knife slot 46 in the indexing disk30 to pierce the protective foil 310 covering one of the sensor cavities304 and engage the notch 312 on the back end 308 of the sensor 302contained therein. As the disk-drive pusher 48 continues to move towardsthe front end 20 of the upper case 18, the first cam follower 238continues along the lower pathway 246, thereby causing the knife blade36 to remain in the extended position projecting through the knife slot46 so that it will travel along the knife slot 46 and push the sensor302 forward out of the sensor cavity 304 and into a testing position atthe front end 14 of the housing 12. As the sensor continues forward outof the sensor cavity and into the testing position therotational-release wheel 500 contacts the sensor 302 to help to positionthe sensor in the testing position. The sensor 302 is in the testingposition when the front end 306 of the sensor 302 projects out of thesensor opening 254 formed on the front end of the guide block 182. Whilein the testing position, the sensor 302 is prevented from being pushedback through the sensor opening 254 by the engagement of the knife blade36 against the notch 312 on the back end 308 of the sensor 302.

As the sensor 302 reaches the testing position, the sensor actuator 40and the rotational-release wheel 500 are in contact with the sensor 302.A pair of metal contacts 38 on the sensor actuator 40 to project intothe sensor opening 254 on the guide block 182 and engage the contacts314 on the sensor 302 for the glucose testing procedure. The metalcontacts 38 apply a frictional force to the sensor 302 so that thesensor 302 does not prematurely fall out of the sensor opening 254 priorto completion of the testing procedure. In the embodiment shown, themetal contacts 38 are somewhat flexible and are made of stainless steel.The housing guide 186 includes support ribs 187 disposed adjacent to themetal contacts 38 so as to prevent or inhibit the metal contacts 38 frombending. As explained above, the metal contacts 38 permit thetransmission of electrical signals between the sensor 302 and theelectronics assembly during the testing procedure.

When the testing procedure is complete, a user turns therotational-release wheel 500, typically using the user's thumb, toremove the sensor 302 from the testing device 10.

As mentioned above, when the disk-drive pusher 48 is pushed from theextended position towards the testing position, the cam button 52 on theindexing disk-drive arm 50 travels along one of the radially extendinggrooves 60 to prevent the indexing disk 30 and the sensor pack 300 fromrotating. The radially extending groove 60 includes a sloped portion 260that changes the depth of the groove 60. In particular, the slopedportion 260 decreases the depth of the radially extending groove 60 sothat the middle portion of the radially extending groove 60 is shallowerthan the curvilinearly extending grooves 56. The radially extendinggroove 60 also comprises an inner step 262 near its inner end 264 (i.e.,near the center of the indexing disk 30). The inner step 262 is formedalong the juncture of the inner end 264 of the radially extending groove60 and the inner end 266 of the curvilinearly extending groove 56. Asthe disk-drive pusher 48 is pushed from the extended position towardsthe testing position, the cam button 52 travels up the sloped portion260 of the radially extending groove 60, past the inner step 262, andinto the adjacent curvilinearly extending groove 56. The biasing forceof the plate spring 54 of the indexing disk-drive arm 50 causes the cambutton 52 to travel downwardly past the inner step 262. The inner step262 prevents the cam button 52 from re-entering the radially extendinggroove 60 when the direction of travel of the disk-drive pusher 48 isreversed (as explained above in connection with the outward movement ofthe disk-drive pusher 48).

As the disk-drive pusher 48 reaches the testing position, the first camfollower 238 passes the exterior end 270 of the cam projection 242. Atthe same time, the second cam follower 240 passes over the end of thecam spring 248, which retracts upwardly and out of the way as the firstcam follower 238 nears the exterior end 270 of the cam projection 242.Once the first cam follower 238 has passed the end of the cam spring248, the cam spring 248 moves downwardly so as to engage and guide thesecond cam follower 240 upwardly when the direction of travel of thedisk-drive pusher 48 is reversed and pulled outward towards the extendedposition. In particular, when the disk-drive pusher 48 is subsequentlypulled outward towards the extended position, the cam spring 248 guidesthe second cam follower 240 upwardly so that the first cam follower 238enters the upper pathway 244 and the knife blade 36 is retracted.

As explained above, the disk-drive pusher 48 is pulled outwardly toinitiate the testing procedure. During the outward motion of thedisk-drive pusher 48, the cam button 52 on the indexing disk-drive arm50 travels along one of the curvilinearly extending grooves 56 so as torotate the indexing disk 30. During this outward motion, the first camfollower 238 on the knife-blade assembly 58 travels along the upperpathway 244. As a result, the knife blade 36 is retracted from the knifeslot 46 on the indexing disk 30 so that the indexing disk 30 is free torotate in response to action of the cam button 52 in the curvilinearlyextending groove 56. As the disk-drive pusher 48 reaches the fullyextended position, the first cam follower 238 passes the interior end268 of the cam projection 242 and is guided into the lower pathway 246by the biasing force of the spring 250 on the swing arm 230 of theknife-blade assembly 58.

The following is a brief description of the operation of thesensor-dispensing instrument 10. First, the puller handle 32 is manuallypulled from a standby position (FIG. 1) adjacent the rear end 16 of thehousing 12 to an extended position away from the rear end 16 of thehousing 12. The outward movement of the puller handle 32 causes thesensor-dispensing instrument 10 to turn ON. The outward movement of thepuller handle 32 also causes the cam button 52 on the indexingdisk-drive arm 50 to travel along one of the curvilinearly extendinggrooves 56 on the upper surface 216 of the indexing disk 30 so as torotate the indexing disk 30 1/10^(th) of a complete rotation. Therotation of the indexing disk 30 causes the sensor pack 300 to berotated so that the next one of the sensor cavities 304 is placed in astandby position aligned with the testing end 14 of the housing 12. Atthe same time, the knife-blade assembly 58 is retracted and movedtowards the center of the indexing disk 30.

Next, the puller handle 32 is manually pushed inwardly from the extendedposition back past the standby position and into a testing position. Tieinward movement of the puller handle 32 causes the knife-blade assembly58 to pivot downwardly so that a knife blade 36 pierces a portion of theprotective foil 310 covering the sensor cavity 304 in the standbyposition and engages the sensor 302 in the sensor cavity 304. As thepuller handle 32 continues to move back towards the housing 12, theknife-blade assembly 58 forces the sensor 302 out of the sensor cavity304 and into a testing position at the front end 14 of the housing 12.At the same time, the cam button 52 on the indexing disk-drive arm 50travels along one of the radially extending grooves 60 to prevent theindexing disk 30 from rotating.

As the sensor 302 is being ejected from the sensor cavity 304 and isbeing pushed into a testing position projecting out from the front end14 of the housing 12, the sensor 302 engages a sensor actuator 40 and arotational-release wheel 500 to thereby maintain the sensor 302 in thetesting position. The sensor actuator 40 and the rotational-releasewheel 500 engage the sensor 302 when the puller handle 32 is pushed pastthe standby position and into the testing position. The sensor actuator40 additionally couples the sensor 302 to the electronics assembly. Thefront end 306 of the sensor is then inserted into a drop of fluid, suchas blood, to be tested, whereby the fluid is analyzed by the electronicsassembly. The results of the analysis are then displayed on the liquidcrystal display 64 of the sensor-dispensing instrument 10.

Once the analysis of the fluid is complete, the rotational-release wheel500 is turned to remove the sensor 302 from the sensor-dispensinginstrument 10.

Turning now to FIGS. 7, 8 a, and 8 b, enlarged partial views of thesensor-dispensing instrument 10 are shown such that therotational-release wheel 500 is depicted in greater detail. As seen inFIG. 7, the rotational-release wheel 500 is mounted to the lower case24. In some embodiments it is contemplated that the rotational wheel maybe mounted to the latch of the lower case. The rotational-release wheel500 may be coated with a material to increase the friction between therotational-release wheel 500 and the sensor 302. Non-limiting examplesof such a material to increase friction between the rotational-releasewheel 500 and the test sensor 302 are rubber, silicone, or otherpolymeric materials. Additionally the rotational-release wheel 500 maybe metal with a serrated surface to better grip the test sensors. Thesensor 302 protrudes through the sensor opening 254 of the guide block182.

FIG. 8 a shows a partial section view taken through line 8-8 of FIG. 7.The rotational-release wheel 500 is mounted to the lower case 24 via anaxle 502. The axle 502 passes through the rotational-release wheel tosecure the rotational-release wheel in place, yet still allow therotational-release wheel 500 to rotate about the axle 502. The knifeblade assembly 58 is additionally shown positioning the sensor 302through the sensor opening 254. As shown in FIG. 8 b, the electricalcontacts 38 are fixed in placed and interact with the rotational-releasewheel 500 to secure the test sensor 302. As the test sensor 302 isdispensed from the sensor pack 300 the test sensor 302 contacts theelectrical contacts 38 and the rotational-release wheel 500 and issecured between the electrical contacts 38 and the rotational-releasewheel 500. Once testing is complete, the user turns therotational-release wheel 500 to remove the test sensor 302 from thesensor-dispensing instrument 10.

While the present invention has been described in connection with a testdispensing instrument that contains multiple test sensors, it is furthercontemplated that the rotational-release wheel may be used with atesting device adapted to only contain a single test sensor.

Alternative Embodiment A

A sensor-dispensing instrument adapted to handle a sensor packcontaining a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensorsbeing disposed in a sensor cavity on the sensor pack and enclosed by aprotective covering, the sensor-dispensing instrument further adapted toperform a test using one of the plurality of sensors, thesensor-dispensing instrument comprising:

an outer housing having a front end and a rear end, the outer housingfurther having a sensor slot through which one of the sensors isdisposed to conduct the test, the sensor slot being disposed at thefront end of the outer housing;

a mechanical mechanism generally disposed within the outer housing, themechanical mechanism including an indexing disk for supporting androtating the sensor pack, an indexing disk-drive arm for rotating theindexing disk, a knife-blade assembly for puncturing the protectivecovering and ejecting one of the sensors from the sensor cavity andthrough the sensor slot, and a puller handle for moving the indexingdisk-drive arm and the knife-blade assembly;

an electronics assembly generally disposed in the outer housing, theelectronic assembly adapted to perform the test and to display testresults;

a sensor actuator generally disposed adjacent to the sensor slot, thesensor actuator adapted to engage with a sensor disposed in the sensorslot, to connect to contacts on the sensor, and to transmit electricalsignals between the sensor and the electronics assembly; and

a rotational-release wheel generally disposed on the front end of theouter housing, the rotational-release wheel being turnable to remove thesensor disposed in the sensor slot.

Alternative Embodiment B

The sensor-dispensing instrument of Alternative Embodiment A wherein anaxle connects the rotational-release wheel to the housing.

Alternative Embodiment C

The sensor-dispensing instrument of Alternative Embodiment B wherein theaxle is mounted to a lower case of the outer housing.

Alternative Embodiment D

The sensor-dispensing instrument of Alternative Embodiment C wherein theaxle is mounted to a latch connecting an upper case to the lower case ofthe outer housing.

Alternative Embodiment E

The sensor-dispensing instrument of Alternative Embodiment A wherein thepuller handle is moveable between a testing position adjacent to therear end of the outer housing and an extended position spaced outwardlyfrom the rear end of the outer housing, and wherein the puller handle ismoved from the testing position to the extended position to rotate theindexing disk, and is moved from the extended position to the testingposition to puncture the protective covering and eject one of thesensors from the sensor cavity and through the sensor slot.

Alternative Embodiment F

The sensor-dispensing instrument of Alternative Embodiment A wherein themechanical mechanism further comprises a movable disk-drive pusher, theindexing disk-drive arm and said knife-blade assembly being mounted onthe disk-drive pusher, and the puller handle being affixed to a rear endof the disk-drive pusher.

Alternative Embodiment G

The sensor-dispensing instrument of Alternative embodiment A, whereinthe sensor actuator is fixed within the outer housing.

Alternative Embodiment H

The sensor-dispensing instrument of Alternative Embodiment A wherein thesensor actuator is fixed within the outer housing.

Alternative Embodiment I

The sensor-dispensing instrument of Alternative Embodiment A wherein therotational-release wheel projects outwardly from the surface of theouter housing, the rotational-release wheel being rotated to remove thesensor disposed in the sensor slot.

Alternative Embodiment J

The sensor-dispensing instrument of Alternative Embodiment A wherein therotational-release wheel and the sensor actuator are adapted to securethe sensor disposed in the sensor slot.

Alternative Process K

A method of operating a sensor-dispensing instrument adapted to handle asensor pack containing a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality ofsensors being disposed in a sensor cavity on the sensor pack andenclosed by a protective covering, and the sensor-dispensing instrumentfurther adapted to perform a test using one of the plurality of sensors,the sensor-dispensing instrument comprising an outer housing having asensor slot disposed at a front end of the outer housing through whichone of the sensors is disposed to conduct the test, thesensor-dispensing instrument further comprising a mechanical mechanismhaving an indexing disk for supporting and rotating the sensor pack, amovable disk-drive pusher, an indexing disk-drive arm mounted on thedisk-drive pusher for rotating the indexing disk, a knife-blade assemblymounted on the disk-drive pusher for puncturing the foil covering andejecting one of the sensors from the sensor cavity and through thesensor slot, and a puller handle affixed to an end of the disk-drivepusher for moving the disk-drive pusher, the puller handle beingmoveable between a testing position adjacent to a rear end of the outerhousing, an extended position spaced outwardly from the rear end of theouter housing, and a stand-by position located between the testingposition and the extended position, and the sensor-dispensing instrumentfurther comprising a rotational-release wheel for removing the sensorfrom the sensor slot, the method comprising the acts of:

pulling the puller handle from the stand-by position to the extendedposition so as to move the disk-drive pusher and cause the indexingdisk-drive arm to rotate the indexing disk;

pushing the puller handle from the extended position to the testingposition so as to move the disk-drive pusher and cause the knife-bladeassembly to puncture the protective covering and eject one of thesensors from the sensor cavity and through the sensor slot;

performing the test by using the sensor disposed in the sensor slot; and

turning the rotational-release wheel so as to cause therotational-release wheel to remove the sensor from the sensor slot.

Alternative Process L

The method of Alternative Process K wherein the turning therotational-release wheel comprises rotating the rotational-release wheelabout an axle secured in the outer housing.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments and methods thereof have beenshown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detailherein. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended tolimit the invention to the particular forms or methods disclosed, but,to the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications,equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A sensor-dispensing instrument adapted tohandle a plurality of sensors, the sensor-dispensing instrument furtheradapted to perform a test using one of the plurality of sensors, thesensor-dispensing instrument comprising: an outer housing having a frontend and a rear end, the outer housing further having a sensor slotthrough which one of the sensors is disposed to conduct the test; anelectronics assembly generally disposed in the outer housing, theelectronic assembly adapted to perform the test and to display testresults; a sensor actuator disposed generally adjacent to the sensorslot, the sensor actuator adapted to engage with a sensor disposed inthe sensor slot, to connect to contacts on the sensor, and to transmitelectrical signals between the sensor and the electronics assembly; anda rotational-release wheel positioned to engage the sensor in the sensorslot and to hold the sensor in contact with the sensor actuator duringthe test, the rotational-release wheel at least partially projectingoutwardly from the outer housing, the rotational-release wheel beingturnable to disengage the sensor from the sensor actuator and to removethe sensor disposed in the sensor slot.
 2. The sensor-dispensinginstrument of claim 1, wherein an axle connects the rotational-releasewheel to the housing.
 3. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 2,wherein the axle is mounted to a lower case of the outer housing.
 4. Thesensor-dispensing instrument of claim 3, wherein the axle is mounted toa latch connecting an upper case to the lower case of the outer housing.5. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, further comprising anactuation member disposed generally within the outer housing, theactuation member being moveable between a testing position and anextended position, and wherein the actuation member is moved from theextended position to the testing position to eject one of the sensorsthrough the sensor slot.
 6. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1,further comprising a mechanism disposed generally within the outerhousing, the mechanism including an indexing disk for supporting androtating the plurality of sensors, an indexing support for rotating theindexing disk, the ejecting mechanism, and an actuation member formoving the indexing support and the ejecting mechanism.
 7. Thesensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, wherein the sensor actuator isfixed within the outer housing.
 8. The sensor-dispensing instrument ofclaim 1, wherein the ejecting mechanism is a knife-blade assembly. 9.The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, wherein therotational-release wheel is coated with a material to increasefrictional contact between the rotational-release wheel and the sensordisposed in the sensor slot.
 10. The sensor-dispensing instrument ofclaim 9, wherein the material includes rubber, silicone, polymericmaterial, or any combination thereof.
 11. A method of operating asensor-dispensing instrument adapted to handle a plurality of sensors,the sensor-dispensing instrument further adapted to perform a test usingone of the plurality of sensors, the method comprising the acts of:providing a sensor-dispensing instrument including an outer housing anda rotational-release wheel, the outer housing having a sensor slotthrough which one of the sensors is disposed to conduct the test, therotational-release wheel being positioned to engage the sensor in thesensor slot and to hold the sensor in contact with a sensor actuator ofthe sensor-dispensing instrument during the test, the rotational-releasewheel at least partially projecting outwardly from the outer housing, anejecting mechanism for ejecting one of the sensors through the sensorslot, and an actuation member, the actuation member being moveablebetween a testing position, an extended position, and a stand-byposition being located between the testing position and the extendedposition; moving the actuation member from a first position to a secondposition so as to cause the ejecting mechanism to eject one of thesensors through the sensor slot; performing the test by using the sensordisposed in the sensor slot; and turning the rotational-release wheel todisengage the sensor from the sensor actuator and to remove the sensorfrom the sensor slot.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the turningthe rotational-release wheel comprises rotating the rotational-releasewheel about an axle secured in the outer housing.
 13. The method ofclaim 11, wherein an axle connects the rotational-release wheel to thehousing.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the axle is mounted to alower case of the outer housing.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein theaxle is mounted to a latch connecting an upper case to the lower case ofthe outer housing.
 16. The method of claim 11, wherein the ejectingmechanism is a knife-blade assembly.
 17. A method of operating asensor-dispensing instrument adapted to handle a plurality of sensorsand the sensor-dispensing instrument further adapted to perform a testusing one of the plurality of sensors, the method comprising the actsof: providing a sensor-dispensing instrument including an outer housing,an electronics assembly, a sensor actuator, and a rotational-releasewheel, the outer housing having a sensor slot through which one of thesensors is disposed to conduct the test, the rotational-release wheelbeing positioned to engage the sensor in the sensor slot and to hold thesensor in contact with the sensor actuator during the test, therotational-release wheel at least partially projecting outwardly fromthe outer housing, an ejecting mechanism for ejecting one of the sensorsthrough the sensor slot, and an actuation member for moving the ejectingassembly, the actuation member being moveable between a testingposition, an extended position, and a stand-by position being locatedbetween the testing position and the extended position, the electronicsassembly generally disposed in the outer housing, the electronicassembly adapted to perform the test and to display test results, thesensor actuator being disposed generally adjacent to the sensor slot,the sensor actuator being adapted to engage with a sensor disposed inthe sensor slot, to connect to contacts on the sensor, and to transmitelectrical signals between the sensor and the electronics assembly;moving the actuation member from the stand-by position to the extendedposition; moving the actuation member from the extended position to thetesting position so as to cause the ejecting mechanism to eject one ofthe sensors through the sensor slot; performing the test by using thesensor disposed in the sensor slot; and turning the rotational-releasewheel to disengage the sensor from the sensor actuator and to remove thesensor from the sensor slot.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein theturning the rotational-release wheel comprises rotating therotational-release wheel about an axle secured in the outer housing. 19.The method of claim 17, wherein the rotational-release wheel and thesensor actuator are adapted to secure the sensor disposed in the sensorslot.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the ejecting mechanism is aknife-blade assembly, the knife-blade assembly further assisting inpuncturing the protective covering.